Game apparatus



March 17, 1931. I A. NADEAUETAL 1,796,937

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March 17, 1931'.- A. "ma 1,796,937

was arm-ms F11 Aug. 25, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 17, 1931. NADEAU E 1,796,937

GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 25. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 17, 1931 PTE PE E

GAME APPARATUS Application filed August 25, 1928. Serial No. 302,112.

This invention relates to game apparatus and has as its general object to provide a game apparatus especially designed for use at summer resorts, parks, fairs, picnics, etc,

and which apparatus will prove amusing and will require the exercise of some skill on the part of the players.

Another object of the invention is to provide game apparatus so constructed as to 0 effect the propelling of a number of balls upwardly through a spout and into the a air after which they are permitted to fall onto a collecting surface, the players being however provided with nets by the use of which they endeavor to catch the balls before they reach the collecting surface, the invention contemplating numbering the balls and providing groups of prizes which groups are numbered to correspond to the numbers on the balls and from which groups the players may select prizes according to the numbers of the balls which they manage to catch in their nets.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby the balls may be propelled into the air through the medium of compressed air constantly supplied at a point below the spout referred to above and to incline the collecting surface of the apparatus so that the balls will roll over this surface and be returned to the point where they will be propelled by the compressed air, thus rendering the operation of the apparatus continuous and obviating the necessity of the attendant at the apparatus being required to place the balls where they may be acted upon by the compressed air.

While the accompanying drawings and the description which is to follow, constitute a disclosure of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of what is claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: V

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, parts being omitted for the sake of clearness and a portion of the cover of the canopy being and secured thereto by means of screws 6.

broken away to illustrate the frame structure of the canopy.

Figure 3 is a vertical diametric sectional View through the apparatus.

, Figure 4- is a horizontal sectional view through the apparatus taken in a plane above the collecting surface of. the apparatus.

Figure 5 is aview partly in section and partly in, elevation illustrating a portion of the frame structure of the apparatus.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of Figure 5 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. c

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 77 of Figure 5 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 8 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating a portion of the roof or canopy frame structure.

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a plan view of a member of the frame structure.

Figure 11 is a top plan view in detail of the compressed air spout of the apparatus, the view illustrating a part of the coll c ing surface member of the apparatus.

Figure 12 is a detail vertical sectional view through a portion of the apparatus.

Figure 13 is a horizontal sectional view through the delivery spout of the air compressor or blower of the apparatus.

As illustrated in the drawings, the appae ratus is in the nature of a booth and includes a flooring 1 upon which is mounted an annular series of uprights 2 which may be of wood and which are preferably supported in upright position upon the flooring 1 by the provision of angle brackets 3 at the lower ends of the uprights, these brackets being bolted to theuprights and to the floor. Brackets 4:, similar to the brackets 3 are secured to the opposite side faces of each upright 2 at a point suitably elevated above the floor surface, and wooden cleats 5 are disposed to extend between each two of the uprights 2 and with their ends resting upon the brackets 4 Rails 7 are disposed upon the upper sides of the cleats 5 and secured thereto by nails or other suitable fastening elements and, by reference to Figures 3 and 6 of the drawings it will be observed that the cleats 5 are of less width than the rails 7 so that the outer margins of the rails will project slightly beyond the outer faces of the cleats and wall boards 8 are nailed or otherwise secured to the cleats 5, along the upper edges of the boards, and the boards, along their lower edges, are secured by nails or the like to the margin of the flooring 1, the wall boards 8 serving to provide an enclosure extending entirely about the flooring 1.

It will be observed at this point that he uprights 2 extend a considerable distance above the rails 7 and, as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, pins 9 are mounted in the upper ends of the uprights and frame members 10 are mounted upon the upper ends of the uprights and. are held in place by the said pins. As will be evident by refs, ence Figures 2 and l of the drawings, the structure is preferably of polygonal rorni id therefore the frame members 10 are pref in the form of a metal bar having portions 11 of equal length integrally oined and extending at an obtuse angle to each other, the bar being formed in its outer end with openings and at the point of juncture of the two members with an opening 13 which openir l mit of the engagement of the bar over the pins 9 in assembling the bar with the upper ends of the uprights 2. The roof or canopy of the structure comprises plurality of bars 14 which may be of metal or of wood these bars are equal in number to the uprights 2 and are arranged in sets by having the upper or inner ends of each two diam ically opposite ones of the bol ed or otherwise secured as at 15 to a connecting member 16 which comprises a metal bar having downwardly inclined end portions 17 and a horizontal intermediate portion lo which latter is formed with a bolt opening 19. Each of the bars 1 1- is provided at its outer end with an opening 20 adapting this end 1 the bar to be anchored to a respective one of the pins 9 as clearly shown in Figure 5 of the draw ings'.

In arranging the sets of l t, the same are disposed with the intermediate portions 18 of the connecting members 16 intersecting and overlapping so that the bars will be symmetrically spaced and all of the bolt openings 19 will be in alinement, whereupon a bot 21 may be secured through these openings so as to unite all of the connecting members. This provides a dome like structure and to complete the roof of the structure, a covering 22 of canvas or other suitable material, preferably made of a number of segmental pieces mutually marginally united, is arranged over the frame structure comprising the bars 14 and the frame members 11 as shown clearly in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of he drawings. In order that the outer mar- "inal portion of the covering 22 may be raccfully draped so as to present an atrac ive appearance, a bracket member omprising a bar of metal is riveted or othervise secured to one side of the outer end of each bar 1% and has a downwardly and outwardly curving portion 2 lover which the said marginal portion of the covering 22 may be draped as shown in Figure 3.

in order that the space between the roof of the structure and the lower portion which is enclosed by the wall boards 8, may be closed, when the apparatus is not in use, and thus eX- clnde rain and snow, curtains 25 are preferably secured their upper margins to the frame structure and taken-up cables 26 are preferably connected at their upper ends as at 27 each to one of the bars 1% of the roof frame and each of the e cables is led over an idle pulley 28 mounted preferably upon the upper en d of each of the uprights 2, the cables being led downwardly and anchored to say suitable anchoring means 29 upon the respective rail 7, it being observed by reference to Figure 3 of the drawings that the portion of each cable which extends between its attached end 2'? and the pulley 28, is looped beneath t 1e respective curtain 25 so that when the cable is pulled downwardly over the pulley and anchored by the anchoring means29, the curtain will be supported in an elevated position and slightly draped in. the manner clearly shown in Fig- -es 1 and 3. l Vhen the cables are released i. om their anchoring members 29 and are permitted to become slack, the curtains will of course drop to a position suspended in the opening between the frame members 11 and the rails 7 thus closing these spaces, each of the curtains extending transversely between the upper portions of two respective ones of the uprights 2.

in order that the frame structure may be braced and strengthened, brackets 30 are mounted one upon each of the uprights 2 opposite the upper portion of the wall board structure 8 and each bracket is provided at its end which is presented toward the center of the structure, with an eye 31, a cable 32 being threaded through all of the eyes and tensioned and having its ends tied together or otherwise united, the arrangement of the cable and brackets being clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

As previously stated, the invention contemplates-the provision of a spout to which compressed air is delivered for the purpose of propelling balls into the air from said spout and which balls, unless caught by the use of nets employed by the players, fall upon inclined surface and in the drawings the surface comprises a sheet 33 of any suitable cloth material which may be made up of anumber of triangular pieces as illustrated for example in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings and this sheet is of polygonal form and is preferably secured at its outer margin to the under sides or inner sides of the cleats 5, the sheet having its sections so cut and united at their margins that it will sag toward its central portion and, at this portion the sections comprising the sheet are cut so as to provide a circular opening for a purpose to be presently explained.

The compressed air by which the balls, which are indicated by the numeral 34, are propelled, is delivered from an air compressor or blower 35 mounted upon the flooring 1 below the collecting member 33, this compressor being driven preferably from an electric motor 36 and the delivery spout 37 of the compressor being preferably provided with an outstanding flange 38 upon which the marginal portion of the collecting sheet 33 which surrounds the opening at the center of the sheet, is preferably disposed, a circular sheet 39 of wire mesh material being disposed at its periphery to rest upon the said marginal portion of the sheet 33, and a clamping ring 40 being disposed over the peripheral portion of the foraminous screen 39 and secured in place by bolts 41. Preferably a division plate 42 will be arranged within the blower delivery spout 37 and this plate is formed centrally with an opening 43 through which the compressed air is delivered against the screen 39.

The compressed air spout through which the balls are delivered is indicated in general by the numeral 44 and the same is arranged in vertical position with its lower end located directly above but spaced with respect to the foraminous screen 39 so that when the balls fall on the collecting surface or sheet 33 and roll down the same toward the center thereof, they may pass beneath the lower end of the tube 44 and onto the screen 39 where they will meet the stream of compressed air which is being delivered through the screen and, as the balls are hollow and preferably made of celluloid and therefore very light in weight, they will be propelled upwardly through the spout 44 and into the air above the spout. In order that the spout may be supported in the manner stated, standards 45 are riveted or otherwise secured as at 46 to the lower end portion of the spout 44 at intervals in its circumference and are provided at their lower ends with laterally extending feet 47 through which certain of the bolts 41 are secured, the lower portions of the standards extending below the lower end of the spout 44 a distance sufiicient to provide for proper spacing of the said lower end of the spout with respect to the screen 39.

In the use of the game apparatus, the players who are to participate, station themselves about the apparatus each, for example, standing opposite the space between two of the uprights 2, and each player will be provided with a hand net having a handle of a suitable length. A number of the balls 34 will then be thrown onto the collecting surface 33 and will immediately roll down this surface to the central portion thereof and beneath the lower end of the spout 44 and onto the screen 39. As the balls reach the screen they will be immediately acted upon by the blast of compressed air and be blown upwardly through the spout 44 and through the upper end of the spout into the space below the roof of the structure when they will begin to fall at which time the players will attempt to catch the balls with their nets. Such balls as are not caught will of course drop onto the collecting surface 33 and will roll down this surface and onto the screen and again be immediately blown through the spout 44 as previously described. Therefore the balls which are not caught in the nets manipulated by the players, are substantially continuously in motion and it will be evident that the return of the balls to position for being propelled is effected automatically so that it is wholly unnecessary to handle the balls in order to place them in such position.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim is:

A game apparatus comprising a booth including vertical upright supporting standards, and side walls connected to said standards, inwardly directed supporting brackets secured to the inner faces of the standards and radiating toward the center of the booth, eyes formed on the inner ends of the brackets, a tensioning and guard cable extending through the eyes of the brackets, a collecting sheet inclining toward its center and connected with the walls of the booth below the cable, said collecting sheet having an opening in its center, a foraminous screen extending over said opening, a blower, a delivery spout leading from the blower and presented at said screen at the under side thereof to deliver a blast of air upwardly through the screen, means within said spout for restricting the diameter thereof at its delivering end, and a spout supported above the collecting sheet with its lower end ar ranged in spaced relation to said screen, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

ARMAND NADEAU. JOSEPH P. PEPIN.

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